On Thursday, March 7th, a practical demonstration on the cultivation of English potatoes was held.
The demonstration took held on a designated farm plot in Belle Isle, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.
This project is part of CARICOM’s 25 by 25 plan, which aims to reduce food import bills in CARICOM member states by 25% by 2025.
Ruthvin Harper, a Crop Research Officer with the Ministry of Agriculture, facilitated the process.
Harper provided valuable information on the strategic English potato planting technique throughout the activity.
In January, Minister of Agriculture Saboto Caesar indicated that the growing of white potatoes is in reaction to the island’s current $5 million yearly import of white potatoes.
Caesar noted that white potato farming is not a recent trend in the Caribbean.
The National White Potato Production Project was established on Thursday, February 8, 2024, at Montreal Greenhouse Park, with SPUNTA E and DESIREE serving as the initiative’s principal potato varieties.